Luther checked Marill's condition and found that, aside from a few scrapes, she was fine.
There was a brief silence inside the battle stadium, and only then did scattered applause begin to rise.
The match schedule was tight. Just as Luther picked Marill up, an announcement echoed through the arena, calling the next pair of contestants to enter the field.
Haruto rubbed the Arcanine that had just recovered and walked silently with it toward the contestants' exit passage.
As he passed through the corridor, the Pokémon trainers preparing for battle stared at Luther warily. Their eyes followed Marill the entire time until Luther finally walked far away.
Luther was still savoring the feeling of the earlier battle.
It was different from gym battles and wild battles. Being watched by everyone, fighting with all his might, and enjoying the cheers and applause was exhilarating enough to make one's blood boil.
Luther's next battle was scheduled for the following morning at 9:30. It was another early match. He glanced at his phone and saw that Mai and Candice had both sent him messages telling him where they were seated in the stands.
Etorre, Ash, and Dakota all had consecutive matches, and their battle times were about an hour and a half later. Luther planned to watch their battles and then leave with them, so he followed the signs toward the spectator area.
"Don't be sad. You did really well. Just work harder next time."
That familiar voice made Luther stop in his tracks. He looked toward the corner of the passage.
Haruto was squatting on the ground, grooming Arcanine's fur and smiling as he comforted the slightly depressed Pokémon. It seemed Arcanine had heard Luther's footsteps. It lifted its head and looked in Luther's direction.
Haruto Kisaragi also noticed Luther's presence. He slowly stood up and walked over with Cacturne, Arcanine, and Toxicroak beside him.
His gaze was calm, as if being eliminated in the first round didn't affect him at all.
"Congratulations on advancing."
Hearing this, Luther froze for a moment before quickly replying, "That was an amazing battle. You and your Pokémon are really strong."
Haruto Kisaragi's lips curled slightly upward.
"When a Pokémon Trainer like you says something like that, it doesn't really sound like praise. It sounds more like consolation."
Luther was just about to argue when Haruto extended his hand and gently rubbed Marill's face in Luther's arms.
"What an incredible Marill! I heard so many things about you from my friend in Snowpoint City. I prepared counters in advance, and it still didn't matter."
"I know your words are sincere, but to me, a loss is a loss," Haruto Kisaragi said. "I had the advantage of information. I prepared every possible counter, yet I still lost to raw strength. There's no excuse I can make."
Seeing the Lily of the Valley Island travel guide lying near Haruto Kisaragi's feet, Luther asked, "You're not staying to enjoy the scenery on Lily of the Valley Island?"
As the headquarters of the Sinnoh League, Lily of the Valley Island was well developed. For trainers who came to compete, aside from battling, sightseeing around the island was their biggest enjoyment.
Haruto Kisaragi shook his head.
"No, even though I still have a day of free access. After I let my Pokémon eat their fill, I'll leave. Battling you made me realize where I'm lacking. I want to make changes as soon as possible."
"Someday, I'll come back to this island as the winner with much more ease and properly tour it. I want to save that sense of freshness for that day."
Haruto Kisaragi extended his hand toward Luther, who gently shook it.
"I'm luckier than the others as the opponent I met was you."
After saying that, Haruto Kisaragi stretched lazily and left the corridor with his Pokémon.
On the way to the spectator stands, a faint smile remained on Luther's lips. Haruto Kisaragi was truly an interesting person, charming, too.
Along the way, Luther had seen many fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds. They either pretended to be mature or tried desperately to become so. But, in the end, they were still mentally young.
Haruto Kisaragi was different. He knew what he needed and how to analyze and reflect on himself. The way he spoke and acted was nothing like someone his age.
It was only the first day, and Luther had already encountered an unforgettable opponent. The preliminary rounds would last half a month, and the main tournament would last another half a month. How many more interesting people would Luther meet during that time?
Following the signs, Luther searched through the noisy, crowded stands for quite a while before finally reaching Mai and the others.
As expected, the seats Candice had gotten from the Pokémon League had an excellent view. From there, they could see every reaction of the Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon on the field without missing any details due to a bad angle.
"First match victory, how does it feel?" Candice asked with a smile.
Luther thought for a moment, then smiled back.
"I feel like starting the next match immediately."
Brock nodded. "That's normal. The battle atmosphere is amazing. Even just watching it makes you want to jump in."
Mai had already peeled a pear that Luther liked. The moment he sat down, she handed it to him.
"Ash and the others have really good momentum. Dawn, you don't need to worry about him," Luther said quickly when he saw that Dawn was looking troubled.
Dawn sighed and took out a tiny piece of clothing.
"It's not because of that. I made a cheer outfit for Piplup, but it was ruined just moments after being put on. I'm thinking about how to modify it."
Piplup scratched its head in embarrassment while Buneary, wearing a cute, well-made cheer outfit, looked at Piplup helplessly.
The food at Kihara Restaurant had been too good for the past month. Piplup had become rounder than before. After putting on Dawn's handmade outfit, Piplup hopped around a couple of times before they heard a "riiiip."
While eating the pear, Luther checked the discussions on the forum. To his surprise, many Pokémon trainers believed that the reason the battle between him and Haruto Kisaragi had been so one-sided was simply because Haruto Kisaragi was weak.
Luther had wanted to speak up for Haruto, but when he recalled his calm and unconcerned expression, he decided against it.
Sooner or later, Haruto Kisaragi would prove his strength in his own way.
There was no need for Luther to do anything extra.
Just as Luther was scrolling absentmindedly, Mai nudged him several times, snapping him back to reality. He shifted his gaze to the battlefield; Ash was already standing in position.
Whether or not Ash could see them, Dawn and Brock were already shouting encouragement to him.
Luther stared at the field without blinking, extremely curious about which Pokémon Ash would send out for his first battle.
After the three-second countdown, both sides released their Pokémon at the same time, and a "mountain" appeared in front of Ash:
Snorlax versus Purugly!
"It's been a while since we've seen Ash's Snorlax show its power. I wonder what kind of battle this will be," Brock said eagerly.
As soon as the match started, Ash ordered Snorlax to use Ice Punch, and Purugly countered with Toxic.
From what Luther knew, Ash's Snorlax appeared to have the Thick Fat ability. He didn't know if the opposing trainer had guessed correctly or was just gambling, but either way, they were right.
Using Toxic on Snorlax was a smart move, and both Luther and Brock approved.
Snorlax's massive body lacked the agility to dodge Toxic, so it took the hit head-on. Then, it smashed Purugly with a single Ice Punch.
Luther was just about to start imagining what he would do next if he were the Purugly user and how he would capitalize on the poison status when the referee's voice suddenly came through the speakers.
"Purugly has lost the ability to battle! Snorlax wins."
Luther, who was still eating the pear that Mai had handed him, nearly choked.
Had Purugly just given up for free?
(End of Chapter)
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